ABSTRACT
Despite the increasing awareness and the demand for the speedy dispensation of justice globally, delay in the dispensation of criminal justice has continued in Nigeria, thereby hindering the development and growth of the legal system. The delay in the dispensation of justice not only negatively impacts defendants but also causes society to lose confidence in the judiciary. Although pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring speedy trials, particularly section 36 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) exist, delays have made this essentially unrealistic. This chapter seeks to identify the several determinants of delays in the criminal justice process. Findings from this research reveal that stakeholders in the justice system, such as the police, the courts, prosecutors, correctional facilities, and the defendants, play vital roles in addressing this menace. A close comparison with countries like Rwanda and the Netherlands, whose justice systems rank better than Nigeria, also reveals that delay in criminal trials cuts across geographical jurisdictions. However, the criminal justice sector in these countries is a testament to the fact that Nigeria must move beyond enacting laws to adopting better and effective implementation mechanisms that will drastically reduce these delays and ensure speedy dispensation of criminal justice in court.
